1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to devices used to practice sports activities, such as hitting a ball, and, more particularly, is concerned with a self-training batting practice machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Baseball and softball are sports activities which require a considerable amount of practice. Batting or hitting is an integral part of baseball and softball and involves a great amount of skill and coordination. Consequently, players commonly participate in batting practice. Batting practice generally requires at least a pitcher in addition to the batter. The pitcher is needed to throw the ball for the batter to hit. However, a pitcher may not always be available. Various devices have been developed over the years which allow players to practice batting without a pitcher.
Representative examples of such devices made for players to practice batting and the like are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,862,044 to White, U.S. Pat. No. 1,962,087 to Cone, U.S. Pat. No. 2,818,255 to Ponza and U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,848 to Amron. While these prior art devices may be satisfactory in use for the specific purposes for which they were designed, none of them seem to provide an optimum solution for the problem at hand of how to effectively practice batting without the aid of a pitcher.
Consequently, a need still exists for an innovation which will provide a more effective solution to the aforementioned problem without introducing any new problems in place thereof.
The present invention provides a self-training batting practice machine designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The batting practice machine of the present invention provides an optimum solution for players to practice batting alone and thus to self-train by employing a flexible ball suspension rod having a ball-like object on an outer end thereof and which flexible rod is horizontally swingable when hit so as to allow the batter to better xe2x80x9creadxe2x80x9d or determine the quality of his or her swing and contact just by observing the path taken by the batted ball-like object on the end of the flexible suspension rod. The batting practice machine enables a batter to practice more hitting in a shorter period of time by employing one or more power bands which are adjustable to control the velocity of forward and return motion of the ball-like object such that the one cycle takes only from three to five seconds. The batting practice machine works equally well for left-hand hitters as for right-hand hitters and is simple but durable in its construction and easy to setup and use.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a self-training batting practice machine which comprises: (a) an upright support member having an upper end and a lower end mountable to a surface; (b) a lower support member having an end attached to the upright support member at a location closer to the lower end than to the upper end of the upright support member and extending substantially horizontally outwardly from the upright support member; (c) an upper support member supported on the upper end of the upright support member such that the upper support member is rotatable relative to the upright support member about a generally vertical pivot axis defined by the upright support member; (d) a flexible ball suspension rod having an inner end and an outer end and being connected at the inner end thereof to and rotatable with the upper support member and extending substantially horizontally outwardly from the upper support member, the outer end of the flexible ball suspension rod having a substantially ball-shaped object thereon for a player to swing a bat at and to hit in order to practice batting; and (e) at least one elastic member disposed exteriorly of the upright support member and releasably attached to and stretchably extending between the lower support member and the upper support member and being disposed on the opposite side of the pivot axis from the ball suspension rod such that when the ball-shaped object on the outer end of the ball suspension rod is hit by the bat swung by the player the elastic member stretches and allows the upper support member and the ball suspension rod to rotate about the axis away from the player until the energy of the rotational motion is absorbed by the stretched elastic member and the tension of the elastic member causes the upper support member and the ball suspension rod to rotate in reverse about the axis back toward the player.
More particularly, the lower end of the upright support member may be inserted into the surface for securing the machine to the surface. The upright support member includes a lower tube having an interior cavity and an upper support rod having an upper end and a lower end. The upper support rod is slidably inserted through an open upper end of the lower tube such that the lower end of the support rod is disposed within the interior cavity of the lower tube and the upper end of the support rod extends above the lower tube and mounts the upper support member. The upright support member has a height adjustment device mounted to the lower tube adjacent to the open upper end thereof and being rotatable in opposite directions and thereby movable toward and away from the lower end of the upper support member between engaged and disengaged positions therewith. In the disengaged position the height adjustment device is loosened relative to the support rod so that the support rod is free to be slidably moved vertically within and with respect to the interior cavity of the lower tube for adjusting the height of the upper support member above the surface. In the engaged position the height adjustment device is tightened relative to the support rod so that the support rod is held stationary in place with respect to the lower tube.
The lower support member includes an inner bar, an outer sleeve having an end and defining an interior cavity open at the end such that outer sleeve is received over the inner bar with the inner bar extending through the open end and within the interior cavity thereof, and a length adjustment device mounted to the outer sleeve and being rotatable in opposite directions and thereby movable toward and away from the inner bar between engaged and disengaged positions therewith. In the disengaged position the length adjustment device is loosened relative to the inner bar so that the outer sleeve is free to be slidably moved horizontally over the inner bar so as to increase or decrease the overall length of the lower support member and thereby the amount of resistance of the elastic member to the rotation of the upper support member and ball suspension rod about the axis as determined by the corresponding increase or decrease of distance at which the elastic member is connected to the lower support member away from the upright support member. In the engaged position the length adjustment device is tightened relative to the inner bar such that the outer sleeve is held stationary in place with respect to the inner bar so that a desired overall length of the lower support member is thereby maintained. Further, the lower support member has at least one and may have a plurality of hooks for attaching one or more of the elastic members to the lower support member. The upper support member has a hook for attaching the one or more elastic members to the upper support member. Each hook of the lower support member is for attaching one of the elastic members to the lower support member.
The upper support member has an upper horizontal head and a lower vertical neck such that the upper support member has a substantially T-shaped configuration. The lower vertical neck of the upper support member is tubular and has a lower end and defines an interior passage open at the lower end thereof. The support rod is slidably inserted through the open lower end of the lower vertical neck of the upper support member such that the upper end of the support rod is disposed within the interior passage of the lower vertical neck of the upper support member and abuts the upper horizontal head.
The upper horizontal head of the upper support member is tubular and has an end and defines an interior chamber open at the end. The inner end of the flexible ball suspension rod is slidable inserted through the open end and disposed within the interior chamber of the upper horizontal head of the upper support member. The upper support member has a releasable securing means in the form of a pair of fasteners mounted to the upper horizontal head of the upper support member at spaced locations thereon. Each fastener is rotatable in opposite directions and thereby movable toward and away from the inner end of the ball suspension rod between disengaged and engaged positions relative thereto. Each fastener in the disengaged position is loosened from the inner end of the ball suspension rod such that the ball suspension rod is free to be slidably moved horizontally within the interior chamber of the upper horizontal head of the upper support member to insert and remove the ball suspension rod. Each fastener in the engaged position is tightened against the inner end of the ball suspension rod such that the inner end of the ball suspension rod is held stationarily in place within the interior chamber of the upper horizontal head of the upper support member.
The machine also can include a base having a plurality of leg members which cross one another at a central location for resting on the surface. The lower end of the upright support member is mounted to the base at the central location thereon.